Page 40 of Sweet Ruin

Anna rolled her eyes. “Dev’s a little punk. He recently decided he wants to be a rapper, so he’ll be even more unbearable than both my parents combined.” From the slight smile on her lips though, I got the feeling she was more excited about a reunion with her brother than she let on.

Eventually, we reached a small, secluded section of the beach that could only be accessed when the tide was out or by a hidden path none of the tourists knew about. My stomach twisted as I realized I’d brought the girls to the place Noah and I had shared our first kiss. My trip to Rapid Bay with him had been so perfect, and even now, I still struggled to believe he’d gone to so much effort for our first date.

I tried my best not to think about that day, that moment. How it had felt like the world stopped when Noah looked in my eyes, and how I’d wanted our kiss to last forever. The feel of the sand under my feet and the light breeze against my face caused the memories to flow through me.

I didn’t want to miss Noah. I didn’t want to think about him at all. But standing in the place where I’d first accepted my feelings for him, just weeks ago, made it so much harder to pretend they were truly gone.

I wasn’t listening as the girls kept happily chatting. Both were completely oblivious to the inner turmoil I felt. I continued walking alongside them, listening to the ocean crashing against the beach, and tried my best to erase the memories of Noah like the waves washed away the footprints we left behind us.

I was finally beginning to put him from my mind when I saw a figure jogging toward us. The girl must have been running from the other end of the beach, but I had only just noticed her. As she neared us, she came to a sudden stop, and my gaze instinctively drifted to look at her. When I saw her face, I too became frozen in place. Recognition flared in her eyes, and my insides began to churn.

“Nina.” Her name tumbled from my lips unbidden, but she was standing far enough away she couldn’t have heard.

She looked so shocked to see me, but there was clear sadness in her eyes that couldn’t be faked. She was the last person I wanted to see while I was in town, and I could think of nothing worse than having to talk with her.

“Did you say something, Isobel?” Anna asked. She and Cress had stopped a couple of steps in front of me and were looking back.

I tore my gaze from the girl who was once my best friend. The girl who had betrayed me and stolen my boyfriend. The girl who had made the thought of running away from Rapid Bay so appealing.

“We should head back for lunch,” I said.

Anna and Cress looked slightly confused, so I stepped forward and took them both by the arm, steering them back the way we’d come before they could ask any questions.

“Come on, let’s go,” I said. “I don’t want to be late. I told you something crazy always seems to happen during my mom’s Thanksgiving lunches. You won’t want to miss a moment.”

The girls followed without protest, but I was sure they were surprised by my sudden urgency to get home. I was worried Nina might come after me. She might want to talk. I had no idea what I’d say to her or what she’d say to me. But either way, I couldn’t imagine it would be a pleasant experience. Thankfully, she let me walk away without saying a word.

I just hoped seeing Nina wasn’t a sign I was going to be the center of this year’s Thanksgiving drama.

CHAPTERTWELVE

My mom’s Thanksgiving meal was just as frantic and chaotic as always. The café tables were all drawn together to form one long dining table, and mountains of food were laid out on top of it. As well as me, my friends, and my family, Norma was there along with some of the café staff and their families. There were also a few of our loyal regulars, like Norma’s not-so-secret crush, Frank.

Her cheeks turned a shade of bright red I thought was only reserved for cars when he came in through the front doors. She’d been in love with him for as long as I could remember, but Frank, of course, had no clue. My mom intentionally sat them next to each other. I wasn’t sure why she thought one lunch would make a difference. Frank and Norma saw each other every day, and nothing had happened yet.

My mom sat next to my dad, and I was on his other side. I had been anxious about what my friends would think of Rapid Bay and equally unsure how my father would react to seeing my home life. But having him here with us felt surprisingly natural. He seemed more relaxed and content than I’d ever seen him, and I felt a little sad we’d missed his presence all these years.

When it was time to go around the table and say what we were thankful for, Mom invited Matthew to go first.

“Family,” he said, smiling nervously at my mom and me. The word caused a lump to form in my throat, and I returned his smile. I found I couldn’t hold his gaze for very long though. Our relationship had come such a long way since the first day when I’d stormed out of his office and told him I wanted nothing to do with him. Back then, I never could have pictured him sitting between me and my mom at Thanksgiving lunch.

Now it felt like he was here to stay, but a small part of me was also aware he’d come into my life so quickly, and he could leave just as fast. I didn’t want to go through that. And I didn’t want my mom to experience it for a second time.

“Agreed,” my mom said, also returning Matthew’s smile. Their eyes locked for several long seconds before she quickly glanced away to continue. “I’m especially thankful to have my daughter home and all of you here with us today.”

“Well, I’m thankful to be here,” I said. I wasn’t sure what else to say. I was too distracted by the way my mom and dad kept smiling at each other. But eventually, I managed to turn to Cress, who was sitting beside me.

“What about you, Cress?”

“Friends,” she replied, grinning at Anna and me. “Both new and old.”

“Oh,” Anna said, a look of mock surprise on her face. “I thought you’d be thankful for a future filled withmany pleasures. I know I am.”

“Anna,” Cress hissed, but Norma burst out laughing from the other side of the table.

“I second that,” she chuckled.

The rest of the table looked on in confusion as Cress’s cheeks grew pinker by the second. Most people around the table seemed to be waiting for an explanation, but luckily my mom started speaking before Anna could tell everyone about Norma’s prediction for Cress’s love life.

---